Response of Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter] to Nitrogen and NPS-B Blended Fertilizers on Andisols of Southern Ethiopia

Inorganic fertilizers have been the important tools to overcome soil fertility problems and also responsible for a large part of the food production increases. The study was aimed to determine the optimum level of NPS-B and by supplementing N from urea rates for maximum yield of tef production and to determine economically optimum level of NPS-B and by supplementing N from urea fertilizer. The treatments were: (100 kg ha-1 NPSB+100 kg ha-1 urea), (150 kg ha-1 NPSB+100 kg ha-1 urea), (200 kg ha-1 NPSB+100 kg ha-1 urea), (150 kg ha-1 NPSB+200 kg ha-1 Urea), (150 kg ha-1 NPSB+200 kg ha-1 urea), (150 kg ha-1 NPSB+200 kg ha-1 urea), (200 kg ha-1 NPSB+200 kg ha-1 urea), (250 kg ha-1 NPBS+200 kg ha-1 urea), (100 kg ha-1 NPSB+300 kg ha-1 Urea), (150 kg ha-1 NPSB+300 kg ha-1 urea), (200 kg ha-1 NPSB+300 kg ha-1 urea), (250 kg ha-1 NPSB+300 kg ha-1 urea), control and R-NP (60N 35 P2O5). The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The maximum biomass yield (13.2 tone ha-1), grain yield (2.6 tone ha-1) was obtained from the application of 200 kg ha-1 of NPS-B blended fertilizer with 100 kg ha-1 urea. The economic analysis revealed that the highest net benefit of 93885.9 ETB ha-1 with marginal rate of return (MRR%) of 143.8% was obtained in response to the application of 200 kg ha-1 of NPS-B blended with 100 kg ha-1 of urea. However, the lowest net benefit was obtained from an unfertilized or control plot. Therefore, applications of 200 kg ha-1 NPSB of blended plus 100 kg ha-1 of urea is economically advisable for farmers in the Halaba districts southern, Ethiopia and areas with similar agro-ecological and soil types for better tef production.

Author(s): Melkamu Hordofa Sigaye*, Kidist Kebede and Ribka Mekuria

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